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Local concerns about Arizona immigration law

Some people believe Arizona's new immigration law will have ripple affects here in Colorado and across the nation. Some of the big concerns, will illegal immigrants move to other states? And will the Federal Government pass tougher immigration laws?

Arizona's crack down on illegal immigration reveals a nation deeply divided. "I firmly believe it represents what is best for Arizona," said Gov. Jan Brewer, (R) Arizona.

"I think it's a bad law, I think it's a step backwards for Arizona, and a step backwards for the country," said Mahoney. Joe Mahoney, runs Catholic Charities in Pueblo which helps immigrants become legal U.S. Citizens. "I'm hoping it won't affect us in Colorado, unless we get people coming from Arizona who no longer feel welcomed," said Mahoney.

Right now, an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants live in Arizona, but that may soon change. "You're probably going to see higher rates of individuals coming across the border in New Mexico and Texas, and that potentially will have an impact on Colorado," said Fawn-Amber Montoya, a professor at CSU-Pueblo.

But for some in the Hispanic community, the bigger concern is racial profiling. Patricia Trujillo, another professor at CSU-Pueblo, is second-guessing a trip she had planned to Arizona later this summer. "You know we're innocent until proven guilty, now in Arizona basically everybody is guilty until proven innocent, and that's really polarizing, and that's what I'm fearful of," said Trujillo.

Amid the fears and frustrations there's also hope for better immigration laws from the Federal Government. "We've been hearing about immigration reform, this law really makes it very clear that we need to do something now," said Mahoney.

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